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Re:Google redraws the borders on maps depending on who’s loo... by roenxi on Saturday September 09, 2023 @11:18AM (#37446366)
Even in a world of greys, there is light grey and dark grey. "Don't be evil" is an aspiration to acknowledge that principles exist and it would be better to adhere to them. Although obviously a company like Google isn't capable of doing that.

Although this doesn't count as evil. Showing locally adjusted maps is hardly even a light grey zone. If the authorities in country A say the border is there, draw it there when producing maps for that country. It is not complicated and it is a silly place to pick a fight - Google would lose if they lost and do nothing useful for anyone if they won. Nobody cares where Google thinks the borders are, they don't have an army and we do have VPNs.

Re:Google redraws the borders on maps depending on who’s loo... by mistrial9 on Saturday September 09, 2023 @11:53AM (#37446783)
> Nobody cares where Google thinks the borders are

there was a documented instance of a military action in Columbia-region IIR that allegedly relied on Google Maps. It is easy to see misinformation, but also easy to see actually low-literacy armed people doing something aggressive Once Again, relying on something that is easy to use.

Re:Google redraws the borders on maps depending on who’s loo... by gretch on Saturday September 09, 2023 @04:11PM (#37449786)
What I see is a warmongering administration that wanted to go to war and was going to pick any reason to do so. Yes Google was the convenient excuse, but if Google didn’t do that, they would have found the next excuse.

Let’s look at the Russia situation now. Google didn’t draw Ukraine as part of Russia. And yet Putin found some reasons anyway.

Re:Google redraws the borders on maps depending on who’s loo... by estebarb on Saturday September 09, 2023 @11:56AM (#37446809)
Well like 13 years ago Nicaragua invaded part of Costa Rica, in part claiming that Google Maps put that land in their territory. https://www.wired.com/2010/11/google-maps-error-blamed-for-n...
Re:Google redraws the borders on maps depending on who’s loo... by roenxi on Saturday September 09, 2023 @04:15PM (#37449833)
Both as a joke but also in seriousness: if the Nicaraguan army can't figure out where the border is, how is Google meant to know?

In practice a key part of the army's job to decide where the border is. The commander is scapegoating to hide his own incompetence. Google's mapping may have contributed, but the lack of demarcation showing where the border is would have been a bigger issue. If the Google Maps aspect was enough to end up in the wrong country it was going to happen without Google being involved.